Puppet Candidates

On 18 February rector of Navapolatsk State University Babenka called the university lecturer Tatsiana Seliazniova, to his office room and demanded from her to stand down.

It’s worth mentioning that the rector suggested Tatsiana Seliazniova to participate in the election as a candidate, explaining that the well-known opposition activists Zmitser Salawiow, Head of Navapolatsk branch of PA HRC “Viasna” and Vital Browka, leader of a youth movement, decided to ballot in the same circuit. Their only concurrent was Chairman of the trade union of Navapolatsk State University Famin. In order to “make the forces equal” the rector decided to “make” one more candidate to the deputy position. However, the independent candidates weren’t registered. In this case T. Seliazniova could contest only with the “official” candidate – Chairman of the trade union. The rector decided to solve this problem in the simplest way and asked his subordinate to stand down.